DECEMBER 2023 Observations and Discussion

[Hoosier]

On 12/30/2023 at 3:56 PM, Hoosier said:

Indianapolis still hasn't had measurable snow this season, as the seasonal total is a trace.  The record latest date for measurable snowfall (0.1" or greater) is January 4.  There is some possibility of measurable snow occurring tomorrow, but if that does not occur, then this record will end up being broken as there are no other opportunities for snow by January 4.

Latest measurable snowfalls at Indianapolis:

Jan 4 (1941)

Dec 29 (1986)

Dec 25 (1918)

Dec 24 (1905 and 2001)

Dec 22 (1896)

Dec 21 (1998)

Dec 20 (1965)

 

IND recorded 0.1" on the 31st, so the record for latest measurable snowfall will remain in tact.  Winter 2023-24 will go down as producing the second latest measurable snowfall on record.

[Clinton]

This map shows rainfall depicts for the last 365 days. @OttumwaSnomowand I finished up almost or more than 24 inches below average and I had a strong rally from Oct to Dec to get to that point.  Goodbye and  good riddance to 2023.

 

[Clinton]

Probably the warmest December I can remember, lets hope January looks nothing like this.

[Hoosier]

At ORD, Dec 2023 tied with Dec 2015 for 4th warmest on record.  I expected a warm month but not anything like Dec 2015.

[Tom]

ORD picked up 0.9" of Snow yesterday...a whopping 1.2" for the month of DEC....a month that many snow lovers don't want to remember!

[Hoosier]

December had 2.97" of precip at ORD, which is wetter than average by a decent amount.  The 30 year December average precip is 2.11"

This is currently the 26th El Nino going back to 1950.  14/26 El Nino Decembers have been wetter than average in Chicago.  Of the 13 El Nino Decembers prior to 2023 that were wetter than average, 9 went on to finish wetter than average for DJF.  Sample size is a little on the small side, but based on that and what looks like it could be a relatively active January, it seems more likely than not that Chicago is headed for a wetter than average DJF.  At the very least, it looks quite unlikely to be a notably dry winter.

[MKEstorm]

Milwaukee experienced its warmest (39.5 avg. temp.) and least snowiest (trace) December on record in 2023. 

[OttumwaSnomow]

My 2023 precip

OTM airport: 20.62"
My yard:     26.20"
Difference:  +5.58"

 

I am closely  examining  these differences.   7 miles with the absence  of any  huge rains that affected  either  location  and not the other concerns  me.. I am steadily  and regularly  reporting more than OTM.  Also the Coop observer  gauge is regularly  about 1% more than the Cocorahs gauge. So had I used the coop observer  gauge all year and not just since August  my total for 2023 would no doubt be over 6"  more than OTM..  this is concerning.   I rarely  go on vacation  and if I do my son measured and was formerly with cocorahs.  Can we really trust automated gauges? How much of this can be explained  by the melting of frozen precip procedures?

[Stormy]

9 hours ago, OttumwaSnomow said:

My 2023 precip

OTM airport: 20.62"
My yard:     26.20"
Difference:  +5.58"

 

I am closely  examining  these differences.   7 miles with the absence  of any  huge rains that affected  either  location  and not the other concerns  me.. I am steadily  and regularly  reporting more than OTM.  Also the Coop observer  gauge is regularly  about 1% more than the Cocorahs gauge. So had I used the coop observer  gauge all year and not just since August  my total for 2023 would no doubt be over 6"  more than OTM..  this is concerning.   I rarely  go on vacation  and if I do my son measured and was formerly with cocorahs.  Can we really trust automated gauges? How much of this can be explained  by the melting of frozen precip procedures?

I agree that it's concerning, and I've noticed this for many years that official precipitation amounts in surrounding towns are often less than what I have, especially, and mainly in the winter months with frozen precip. events. I've seen it so often that I really don't believe even official NWS reports. Any automated rain gauges are a joke even with heaters installed and those windbreaks or deflectors or whatever you call them. I've had a heater in my Davis electronic gauge for years and finally gave up on it as it's pretty much worthless except when there's no wind and it's near freezing, and even then the heat will evaporate some of the precip. as it melts. It's a hassle and quite a bit of work (but interesting) to try and accurately record frozen precip! I like the cocorahs 4" gauges or any similar manual gauges with that innner tube, though no gauge, especially electronic, is 100% accurate in all situations. People who want to record accurately need to get out and physically work at checking manual gauges during frozen events! But we know it's not always possible if you work away from home, but I'll check any time of the night of necessary. Rant over for now!

[OttumwaSnomow]

1 hour ago, Stormy said:

I agree that it's concerning, and I've noticed this for many years that official precipitation amounts in surrounding towns are often less than what I have, especially, and mainly in the winter months with frozen precip. events. I've seen it so often that I really don't believe even official NWS reports. Any automated rain gauges are a joke even with heaters installed and those windbreaks or deflectors or whatever you call them. I've had a heater in my Davis electronic gauge for years and finally gave up on it as it's pretty much worthless except when there's no wind and it's near freezing, and even then the heat will evaporate some of the precip. as it melts. It's a hassle and quite a bit of work (but interesting) to try and accurately record frozen precip! I like the cocorahs 4" gauges or any similar manual gauges with that innner tube, though no gauge, especially electronic, is 100% accurate in all situations. People who want to record accurately need to get out and physically work at checking manual gauges during frozen events! But we know it's not always possible if you work away from home, but I'll check any time of the night of necessary. Rant over for now!

Thanks @Stormy I am doing the best I can at getting  accurate  data.  I work at home, and rarely  leave Ottumwa  with my work. Also during  snow events Im usually  up all night and can measure  snow immediately  when it stops falling or every 6 hrs. 2023 was my 1st year of consistently  melting the frozen  precip. But I do agree my biggest  discrepancies have been seen over the winter. And in summer  months  just one large rain event can totally  change the rain numbers just a mile away, although  that was the case in 2023 as no one close to me had a huge rain event!

[hawkstwelve]

Warmest December on record for many spots within this area, including Sioux Falls. Lovely.

 

[Hoosier]

The snow on 12/31 took this December out of top tier snowfall futility for Chicago.  But...

2018-2023 is the first time on record that 6 consecutive Decembers have each produced less than 4" of snow in Chicago.  Average December snowfall is 7.6"

 

Dec 2018:  1.4"

Dec 2019:  2.0"

Dec 2020:  2.8"

Dec 2021:  1.9"

Dec 2022:  3.2"

Dec 2023:  1.2"

[jaster220]

On 1/1/2024 at 1:04 PM, Hoosier said:

December had 2.97" of precip at ORD, which is wetter than average by a decent amount.  The 30 year December average precip is 2.11"

This is currently the 26th El Nino going back to 1950.  14/26 El Nino Decembers have been wetter than average in Chicago.  Of the 13 El Nino Decembers prior to 2023 that were wetter than average, 9 went on to finish wetter than average for DJF.  Sample size is a little on the small side, but based on that and what looks like it could be a relatively active January, it seems more likely than not that Chicago is headed for a wetter than average DJF.  At the very least, it looks quite unlikely to be a notably dry winter.

Exactly. So what about all those NOAA maps showing nothing but BN over our region for precipitation??

[Hoosier]

34 minutes ago, jaster220 said:

Exactly. So what about all those NOAA maps showing nothing but BN over our region for precipitation??

 

I posted this in the ENSO thread back in July:

On 7/19/2023 at 11:43 AM, Hoosier said:

Ninos can be dry around the Lakes/Midwest, but that dry signal sort of fades in stronger Ninos.  So I'd be skeptical of any forecasts that have a dry winter across the region. 

The better dry signal in strong Ninos is more toward the Ohio Valley, and so far it has been drier down in that area.  Only 1 out of 3 meteorological winter months done though, so we'll see what happens in the next couple months.